Vacuum cup rubber ball catcher



y 0, 1941-. HQSINGER 7 2,243,019 I VACUUM CUP RUBBER BALL CATCHER Filed Oct. 51, 1939 flerzry Singer mv'sm'on ATTORN EYS Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CUP RUBBER BALL CATCHER Application October 31, 1939, Serial No. 302,234

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a vacuum cup rubber ball catcher and has for an object to provide apparatus in which a vacuum cup, wherever attached, is used to capture smoothly surfaced moving balls.

A further object is to provide a ball catcher which will develop skill and promote amusement of the player, comprising a paddle shaped memher having mounted on the upper and lower sides thereof, in spaced relation, a pair of rubber vacuum or suction cups which are adapted to catch and hold successfully a smooth surfaced ball until the ball is forcefully released.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure l is a front elevation of a vacuum cupball catcher constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front eleyation of a modified form of the invention in which the support for the vacuum cups is formed of a disc having a transverse grip.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of another modified form of the invention in which the ball is anchored by an elastic cord to the paddle shaped member.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, In designates a support comprising a paddle shaped member having a handle ll projecting from one end and mounted on opposite sides of the paddle shaped member are a pair of rubber vacuum or suction cups l2 and I3. One cup is mounted near the extreme end of the member and the other cup is mounted near the grip, both cups being arranged on the central longitudinal axis of the member. The cups are secured to the paddle member by bolts M, the heads of which are countersunk below the surface of the member.

The ball l5 used may be hollow or solid and is perfectly smooth, being approximately two and v one-half times larger than the cup. The ball is adapted to be caught on a rebound and held by the suction cup until forcefully released.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 3 a pair of rubber vacuum cups [6 are mounted on the periphery of a disc I! at diametrically opposite points thereof. The disc. is provided centrally on one face with an arched strap handle l8 which the player may grip to catch the ball in either vacuum cup. The grip is in alinement with the vacuum cups to facilitate playing the ball into the cups. The rubber ball is attached to the center of one side of the disc between the ends of the arched grip by an elastic cord I9. The disc forms a support by means of which the ball may be punched or batted down to the floor or up into the air.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 4 the support I9 for the vacuum cups 20 is identically the same as shown in Figure 1, but in this form of the invention the ball 2| is anchored to the edge of the support near one of the vacuum cups by an elastic cord 22.

In operation the interest and skill of the game of catching the ball in the cup, is promoted essentially by the adhesive feature, namely, the clinging of a smoothly surfaced ball to a vacuum cup regardless of where or how the cup may be attached to different supports in a variation of uses.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

A toy comprising, a disk, an arched grip disposed at the center of one face of the disk for manipulating the disk, a pair of rubber vacuum cups mounted on the periphery of the disk at diametrically opposite points thereof, said arched grip being alined with said vacuum cups to facilitate playing a ball into the cups, and a rubber ball anchored to the center of theother face of the disk by a rubber cord secured to the center of said face of the disk between the ends of said arched grip.

HENRY SINGER. 

